


Of Being a TA

by Astray



Series: SMAUG shenanigans [3]
Category: Elizabethan and Jacobean Theatre & Literature RPF, Merchant of Venice - Shakespeare, The Jew of Malta - Marlowe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-23
Updated: 2015-03-23
Packaged: 2018-03-19 07:38:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3601776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astray/pseuds/Astray
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Antonio has a lot to deal with: airhead friends, cranky supervisors, overbearing chair of departments... At least he is not entirely alone in his plight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Being a TA

Antonio was late. Well, he wasn't late, technically speaking: he was right on time. Which meant he was late. He had stayed up for the better half of the night finishing the evaluation tables for the next day – oral presentations were on the way and Barabas had barged in saying it was not enough. Never mind that _Shylock_ was Antonio's supervisor. As a the chair of the department, Barabas was practically their superior. Thus, Antonio was saddled with extra work. Just as he was locking the door of the flat, his phone rang. Sighing, he shoved his keys in his pocket, and retrieved the offending piece of technology. Bassanio...

"Yes?"

"Antonio, where the hell are you?"

"Good morning to you too."

"Sorry, good morning."

"On my way to work."

"... You were supposed to meet me."

"Huh? You didn't say anything." Antonio balanced his messenger bag over his shoulder to take out his transports pass without dropping the phone.

"I sent you an email."

"When? I didn't see anything." He nodded his greetings to the controller and slipped in the crowded bus. He noticed several students from his classes, as well as Kyd.

"'round 3 am ... Don't you ever check your mailbox?"

It took all Antonio's willpower not to hang up. "Forgive me for sleeping once in a while." He glanced at his watch. Yeah, right on time. Damn it. Oh wait, that's his stop. "Bassanio, I have to run now. I'll call you around one – I have classes until then and then we have presentation."

"Teh. Alright – good luck with Professor Cranky-Pants."

"Thanks, you are a friend."

Antonio hung up and actually had to fight his way out of the bus. He would have tripped over a bag, had someone not caught his elbow. He turned to his saviour only when they had gotten off the bus. It was Ben Jonson. And gods, didn't he look like he got run over by a lorry.

"Hello Ben, how're things?"

"Days should feature twenty-hour nights." He smiled, as though it would make him appear less tired.

"Too much work?"

"No, a friend who thinks I'm here to listen to his rants all night."

"Oh." Whoever this friend was, Jonson must like him a lot – usually, whoever tried to reach him after hours was in for a severe earful. Or maybe Jonson knew all resistance was futile, which was a perfectly valid option.

"He doesn't do it often though. Apparently, the dean got on his case again, if you see what I mean."

“Is there a day Gosson doesn't get on Nashe's case?”

“How would you know it's him?” Ben seemed genuinely surprised. However, Antonio knew way more than he would like about the faculty's shenanigans. It did not help that Gosson had his office in the Solomon building. Usually, Gosson shouted loud enough for everyone else to hear. Jonson recovered, and added: “To be fair, I don't even know how I manage with that bunch. They are exhausting!”

"Have you seen who I work with?"

"It's an open secret that you're a masochist."

"I knew you'd understand." Antonio shot his friend a wry smile.

"Hey, as TAs, we go through similar ordeals. But at least Will has a heart."

Antonio could not exactly answer that. Shakespeare was notorious for being a brilliant researcher, an even better teacher, but also for overworking everyone who tried to help him. So far, Jonson had been the only one who had stuck long enough. But that was partly due to the fact that Ben never let the professor invade his private life. And to be perfectly honest, it was a common thing amongst assistants to envy Jonson's position.

Antonio liked his job, he liked to teach – though he was never happier than buried under piles and piles of data to analyse – because it gave him time, and silence. Law was a subject that had always interested him, and to work on the birth of business laws in Renaissance Italy made him feel at home. In a way, his job was potentially the only subject on which he and his professor saw eye-to-eye. Shylock was a well-known researcher in the history of justice, and Antonio did almost all his thesis under his tutorship. It was rather sad that the man often seemed to be in a perfectly foul mood and felt like he had to bark at everyone to get things done. Not that Antonio never barked himself. When he first met Shylock , he immediately disliked him – his ways, his attitude, everything. To say nothing of all he had heard about Shylock before he joined the Law Faculty – how ruthless he was, ready to do anything to get to his own goals. He had not expected anything from Shylock – possibly a stab in the back, but nothing more. He even overlooked the problems caused by Barabas because he was so focused on hating Shylock.

However, when time came to find someone to supervise his works, Antonio had had no choice: either he picked any other teacher, who was bound to be just average; or he would have to swallow his pride and ask Shylock. When going for an academic career, you had to make such choices. Antonio had made his – and almost reconsidered when he saw Shylock's smug face. Their first sessions where heated, and they often argued. But he soon realized that these arguments forced him to think, to reach outside the box. It then occurred to him that maybe, the reason why Shylock actually bothered antagonizing him was to get him to use his brain. And so he did. At length, he had grown accustomed to Shylock's ways, and it did not bother him as much as it originally did. Of course, he never failed to throw back at Shylock everything that was unfairly thrown at him. When it was done unfairly – he may not like criticism all that much, but he had to acknowledge his superior's opinion when he pointed faulty arguments. And he had to say that Shylock was rarely wrong. The real nuisance was Barabas. He had a way to get on Shylock's nerves that was dreadful in its efficiency.

Antonio and Ben talked all the way to University, not even stopping for coffee – it was a habit to get one when they had a break. Ben explained that these days, Shakespeare was doing everything he could to placate him – something to do with being late on schedule and Ben being the one to save the day. It was not as if it was not an everyday battle to get Will to do stuff. More often than not, administrative papers would find their way either on Ben's own desk – sadly for him, in the same office as Will – or, according to Marlowe, in the laundry basket. Which was absolutely their place.

“Are you kidding?”

“Not at all... I think he hopes for Kit not to notice and so, the papers would be washed down.”

“I never thought he would hate paperwork so much.”

Ben let out a bark of laughter at that. “Oh, don't be fooled, he's great at writing papers. He's just not one to take care of the depositing. And that so many students want him as a tutor does not help.”

“Doesn't Kit do part of the job?”

“Why no one – aside from you and Portia, that is – ever tried working with Shylock?”

“Foul mood, and tendency to beat you down, even if later, you get feedback as to what great job you did. I think it's a habit.”

“That's the thing: Kit is brilliant, probably too much. Try and find students who would go ask him questions. They are too damned scared that the guy will cut them down to pieces.”

Truth be told, he had never seen Kit Marlowe being angry or even remotely upset. Annoyed, certainly – he had even spotted him asking Shylock as to whether or not a loophole in the law would allow him to murder a colleague. There was not, and even though it was certainly in jest, Marlowe did look disappointed. “He does not strike me as the ranting type.”

“He doesn't need to. He would stare at you, until you feel absolutely worthless. He once taught a class on Middleton's plays. I said something that I know now to be off topic, but man, the way he looked at me. I was two feet tall, really.”

“Probably the goatee.”

Antonio was smiling. It was a running joke between him and Jonson since before they graduated. Marlowe had always a little something devilish about him. However, he did not quite believe that Shylock would be the same – as a matter of fact, there were people he liked, others he tolerated and some he downright hated. Fortunately, those last were few. Shylock did have a profound dislike for Bassanio and, by extension, for Lorenzo. Though Antonio tended to attribute this to the fact that Lorenzo was Jessica's boyfriend. According to Lorenzo, Leah had a good influence over Shylock, but it came to nothing where Jessica was concerned. How the man was still alive was a wonder in itself.

Antonio checked his watch again – two minutes still before he was late. He wished Jonson a good day and practically dashed to Duncan College. True to form, Shylock was already there, and occupied nagging a recruit. Antonio had seen her on campus, her name was... Lavinia. She had several brothers, who did not follow her at University. A postgraduate student who sat in Shylock's course on Lombardian thirteenth-century loans and credits system.

“... clearly, your thesis statement is still too weak and would not pass a deeper interrogation. You should be able to correct that for the end of the week. There is nothing I can do for you at this point. You concern yourself too much over trivia, and not enough on the evidence from exchequers and ledgers. Be sure to look also into that.”

“Alright, professor. I'll do what I can.”

Antonio felt really sorry for her, clutching her books to her chest and looking ready to crumble. Truly, she was brave to have asked Shylock to follow her for her degree thesis: Antonio knew first-hand that it was not the easiest thing to do. As Lavinia went her own way, Antonio ventured closer. He greeted his superior, offering an apologetic half-smile.

“On the dot again, Antonio. The day you'll arrive early is the day you are sick, indeed.”

“Perhaps.”

“Now, tell me, have you read Miss Andronicus's dissertation proposal, or am I alone having to face the nonsense?”

“I have read it. As you said, her thesis is rather weak. But her bibliography is solid, though one or two more sources would not hurt. It can become a dissertation worth of interest.”

“You are too kind.”

“One of us has to be.”

Shylock snorted, and Antonio could tell that there was amusement in the sound. Well, maybe it would be a good day after all.

“Enough of that. You see, Miss Andronicus asked to become an assistant after her graduation. I have no reason to deny her, as she does fairly well. And Portia will be on leave for a year at that time. However, I would not accept anything but a flawless paper from her, as I did when you graduated yourself. I trust you to see with her what is necessary, and required, from her.”

“I will. When you called, however, you mentioned sources. Did Padua finally sent its files, or are we to run after said papers until we are told to go to Italy yet again?”

“I would not worry about this if I were you. You have a class in two hours, and I expect you will be fairly occupied. So will I, as a matter of fact.” Shylock's expression turned grim, and it was all the warning Antonio got before Barabas rounded the corridor. That could not be good.

“Oh, Shylock! I am so glad I found you. See, I have this conference in a while, and I am afraid I cannot find my documents anywhere. I must have deleted them... Silly me. Would you mind if I borrow Antonio for the time being?”

Antonio did not like the sound of it, at all. Barabas sounded as though he had done it on purpose, and he would not put it past him. The Professor was a sore sight if Antonio had ever seen one, and his sleek ways were practically plastered on his face. Compared to Shylock, who was rather short, Barabas seemed to tower over everyone, bar Antonio. For this, the TA was quite grateful, as it prevented Barabas from looking down on him.

“I believe it is for Antonio to answer. As you well know, my assistants are all well-occupied these days, and we have classes to plan ahead. It is very unfortunate that you lost your data.”

Shylock did not sound pleased either at the prospect, and Antonio was reminded once again why he was working with him: next to Barabas, even Shylock would seem courteous, kind-hearted and comprehensive. More to the point, Shylock never asked anyone to do his work for himself. Contrary to Barabas who manipulated others so they would do his will.

“Well?” Oh, there. Gone was the oily demeanour. There went the icy tone used right before the threats started to fall. Antonio knew, as well as Shylock certainly did, that Barabas would not let them off the hook.

“What would you have me do then, if it's not too much to ask? I have a class from eleven to one.”

“Strange schedule.”

“A postgraduate seminar, it's the only time we were given. Now, Professor?”

“Fine. I had a survey, more like, an assessment of the evolution of business law from the late nineteenth century to nowadays. However, I'm missing all the powerpoints, and thus, all I have are the notes I took. You'll understand that at my age-” Shylock coughed rather loudly. “At my age,” Barabas went on, apparently unfazed, “reading notes is not always easy.”

“Do I look like a typist to you?” Anger threatened to make him loose his composure but at this moment, Antonio did not care. It was one thing that Barabas took upon himself to make everyone's life miserable, but it was another thing altogether to ask this. He had his dignity, and enough self-esteem not to just bow and say yes sir, thanks sir. No way in the seven hells, and Dante be damned.

Again, Antonio would curse his foul mouth – because Barabas had then used his trump card: Portia needed his agreement to go abroad, and he would give it only if Shylock and Antonio cooperated. After all, it was a matter of exchange, was it not. It made Antonio so angry. Had it been anyone else, he would have lost his temper – and it was quite a feat in itself. He rarely ever snapped at anyone – Bassanio and his friends were an exception, but mostly, it happened only when they drunkenly called in the middle of the night.

“Antonio...”

“Yes?”

“Next time Barabas baits you like this, it would be a good thing if you just stopped noticing. You won't survive in the department, and I would rather do without this extra paperwork stupidity.”

“The man is a pain.”

“I would have said the sorest pain in the backside ever known to man but you do have a point. Better keep it concise.”

Antonio let out a sigh. At least Shylock was not being too nasty about the whole thing. It was good, too. Because having to do Barabas's work was bad enough without Shylock being cranky.

“Stop sighing, too. This is distracting.”

“As glad as I'd be to stop bothering you, teleportation is not exactly something I can do.”

“What, no ubiquity either?”

“Nope.”

“Now, Antonio, I am disappointed in you. I had hoped you would find a way to get us out of this place. Now, how about you start worrying about the seminar? The plan is not going to create itself, and it's not for lack of trying. Now, do it. I'll finish that monkey's idiocy before I can find something better to occupy myself.”

“Like Lavinia's work?”

“Keep that up and she'd take your place.”

“She's still wet behind the ears...”

“To me, so are you.” And the seriousness in Shylock's expression was a fairly good indicator that it was no laughing matter. Damn...

They worked in silence for a while, Antonio trying to finish his seminar plan as fast as he could. Fortunately, Shylock did not seem to begrudge him for this. Most probably because he was too occupied grumbling against Barabas. In a way, Antonio was thankful to the older professor: he gave Shylock plenty of reasons to complain that did not involve Antonio's work. The rest of the day was rather uneventful. Until this fateful moment when he had nothing more to do and so, had to call Bassanio back.

“Bassanio?”

“Antonio! Thanks for calling again!”

“What is it?” He knew he should probably be more amiable to the man but he could not bring himself to do it. His shoulders were killing him, his brain was trying to escape from his skull.

“You won't believe it! Portia got the green light for her research exchange to Padua next semester!”

“That's great news. Though you don't sound so enthusiastic yourself. What's bothering you?”

“She'll be gone for an entire semester!”

“Oh right. Let me guess... you cannot survive without your brain for more than two days. How silly of me.”

“Mean.”

“I know. Look, a semester is not that long. And besides, you knew it would happen. And it would be good for her to see Nerissa again. You could even use that as an excuse to ask a leave and go see Gratiano.”

“Gratiano...”

“Come on, you miss the man as much as he does you.” Antonio smiled fondly at the memory. Gratiano was always the happy-go-lucky fellow who could lift a mood in moments. He missed him as well. But more than anything, he missed hanging around with Bassanio as they used to. Sure, now he had Portia, and while Portia was a kind soul, it did not help him. He wished he could hate her but he could not bring himself to. He felt regret trying to get a hold of him and he mercilessly crushed the feeling. It would not do to wallow in self-pity.

“Are you alright, Antonio? Look, I know I messed up today. I'll make it up to you. You have any classes tomorrow?”

“You know very well that I don't.”

“Then you won't mind me stealing you away for a bit? It's been a while...”

At this, Antonio's mind came to a screeching halt. _Yes please, steal me away and let's hide from the world and_ \- Gods, Antonio, get a grip! “I don't mind at all, my dearest friend.”

“Great! I'll pick you up for lunch!”

“Lunch?”

“Hey, I don't work either. No way I get up before ten! I'm not you.” Bassanio's laughter carried through the line and Antonio felt slightly light-headed. He knew that he was weak when Bassanio was concerned, but he could not help it. Even though his friends would tease him about his affection for the man, Antonio was not ready to let go just yet. Let people assume whatever they wanted. So taken in his thoughts, Antonio did not see Shylock looking from his office window, shaking his head ever so slightly. For men must be young, and love, as always, worked in strange ways. A wonder Bassanio never seemed to notice.


End file.
